See why the trick is to think small and easy

Small Steps

Small Steps

We’ve all made live-healthier declarations at the start of a new year (Exercise every day! No dessert!). Problem is, most of the time, they’re just too grand. “Big goals tend to be unrealistic and set you up for failure,” says Joseph R. Ferrari, PhD, professor of psychology at DePaul University in Chicago. The key to making resolutions stick is to take little steps toward your main goal. Here’s how to boil down those ambitions into action-size bites so that by year’s end, you’ll count yourself among the resolution keepers.

Your Goal: Lose Weight

Your Goal: Lose Weight

Resolve to sit down whenever you eat. “This simple behavioral change can help you lose several pounds without even trying,” says psychologist Judith S. Beck, PhD, author of The Beck Diet Solution. In fact, one study found that people ate 30 percent more when standing up. That’s partially because we tend to eat more quickly when we’re standing and miss our body’s “fullness” signals that tell us when we’ve had enough. When you sit, you’ll eat more slowly and savor each bite, which will help you feel more satisfied.